1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the early detection of breaks and marginal wear in the cutting edges of reversible cutting plates employed in machine tools, the reversible cutting plates having at least one insulated conductor path embedded in their cutting edges, with this conductor path being in communication with a voltage source and forming part of a circuit for actuating a signal to break off the machining process.
2. Prior Art
Recently, the early detection of breaks in the cutting edges of tools used for machining work has been gaining increasing significance. Various proposals have been made to realize such early detection. For example, a device is known which is particularly well suited for use with tools equipped with so-called reversible cutting plates which are inserted into the tools. Such reversible cutting plates are often coated with non-conductive hard substance layers and it has been proposed to embed conductor paths in the vicinity of the cutting edges in these hard substance layers, with such conductor paths being in communication with a voltage source and forming part of a circuit for actuating a signal to break off the machining process.
In connection with such reversible cutting plates it is necessary to establish contact between the respective conductor paths in the exchangeable cutting plate and the tool. However, this is not only difficult but also has the drawback that such contacts constitute an unreliable electrical connection. They become dirty or corrode easily and become loose with extended use.